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By Richard Taylor
Raleigh artist Dan Nelson was painting the Ocracoke “downtown” Thursday morning while live-streaming to his artist students on his YouTube internet channel.
He is part of a group of six North Carolina painters–Mike Rooney, Joanne Geisel, Ann Hair, Gale Smith and Barbara Bear Jamison–on-island this week for a yearly painting pilgrimage to this island paradise.
The group will show and sale of their work Friday (today) from 4:30 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the home of Desiree Ricker, 494 Back Rd. at Mark’s Path.
All are welcome, and a portion of sales will benefit Ocracoke Alive’s art partnership with public schools.
Nelson had positioned his white cargo van in front of Ride the Wind Surf & Kayak Shop at the corner of Irvin Garrish Hwy and Silver Lake Road.
As he painted, his smart phone mounted behind him on a tripod captured his action for his viewers via a Bluetooth headset.
Nelson has painted around 40 island scenes over the last three years that this group has come to the island.
“I’m just about running out of things to paint,” he said as he captured the view of both sides of the street down Irvin Garrish Highway. “It’s challenging to get a great picture out of a so-so subject.”
While Nelson painted in the village, others in his group were painting at the beach.
Gail Smith and Joanne Geisel were positioned under the deck at the Lifeguard Beach and getting a lot of attention from beach-goers as they captured colorful dune scenes on their canvases.
“People are excited,” Geisel said between brush strokes about Friday’s show.
She estimated the group’s output will be 30 to 40 paintings of all sizes and prices of Ocracoke’s marina, historic homes, the lighthouse and beaches.
Below are two samples of Geisel’s and Nelson’s work.
Connie Leinbach contributed to this story.
